March is National Women’s History Month and this year South Texas College’s Pecan Campus Library is celebrating with a distinguished guest speaker series, film documentaries, a workshop and three art exhibitions! The art exhibits are on loan from Humanities Texas, state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Two of the exhibits entitled “Rural Texas Women at Work, 1930-1960” and “Citizens At Last: The Women Suffrage Movement in Texas” are freestanding, framed panel displays including images and text mounted behind Plexiglas. “Rural Texas Women at Work, 1930-1960” features photographs and information from the Texas Agricultural Extension Service archives at Texas A&M University of women in the interior of the home as well as outside working in the farms and fields during two greatly devastating events—the Great Depression and World War II. This exhibit commemorates women’s ability and strength to survive under extreme circumstances and provide for their families.
“Citizens At Last: The Women Suffrage Movement in Texas” celebrates women’s right to vote and the ratification of the 19th amendment to the Constitution which opened up the long awaited struggle for women to be recognized as citizens and given voting rights. This exhibit focuses on the 27 year Texas womens’ suffrage campaign with archival photographs, newspaper clippings, cartoons, cards and text from the Woman’s Collection of Texas Woman’s University Library.
The exhibit “Changing the Face of Power: Women in the U.S. Senate” originally exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution and presented by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin, features 37 black and white documentary photographs of 14 U.S. women Senators at work and behind the scenes from 2001-2003. The photographs in this exhibition were taken by highly acclaimed photojournalist Melina Mara who began taking photos at the age of six. All text panels for this particular exhibition were provided by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
All art exhibits and events are free and open to the public and exhibits will be on view throughout the month of March. Don’t miss this precious opportunity to experience awe inspiring art in appreciation of the graceful strength, power and integrity of women throughout time. For detailed information on all events visit, ( http://news.southtexascollege.edu/?tag=womens-history-month).
Contributed by Sofia Vestweber, Art Gallery Associate for the STC Library Art Gallery.
